Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Plans are afoot to explore the possibility of building a new Parliament House complex in the national capital in place of the existing 85-year-old heritage building.
A High Powered Committee (HPC) is being set up to suggest an alternative complex to house the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha amidst apprehensions over the structural stability of the current building built in 1927.
But why doubt the structural stability of such a massive structure?
This is because severe wear and tear as also a spate of changes and encroachments in the original design have endangered the structural stability of the heritage building.
Also, the present structure which is 85 years old is not able to cope with the growing foot falls and unable to service so many people.
Besides, in the next 50 years, the strength of both the Houses is also expected to increase with moves for greater representation to women and other weaker sections.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has even said that the magnificent building was "weeping" as it has to bear much load with heavy foot falls, new additions, including air conditioning of both the Houses and heavy cabling which was not originally planned.
There are also fears that the building may not be able to withstand a major earthquake, that is why the Lok Sabha Secretariat has approached an eminent technical institute at Roorkie to undertake a study of the building.
(With PTI inputs)
First Published: Saturday, July 14, 2012, 11:03